William O'Douglas' (The Black Silence of Fear), - Essay Example

William O’Douglas, in his document on ‘The Black Silence of Fear’ sheds light on the aspect of fear as it is seen in today’s contemporary society. The author presents us with alarming examples of how we react in situations when fear confronts us…

Extract of sample"William O'Douglas' (The Black Silence of Fear),"

Download file to see previous pages
In this enlightening document, he points out how intolerance and arrogance play major roles where the minorities are concerned, suppressing them still further into a corner of oblivion. However, O’Douglas believes that if a person has to fully understand and apprehend its meaning, he has to leave his own country and lose himself in the dark regions, and absorb himself in the trials and tribulations of other civilizations. He feels that after this is carried out and when the person comes back to his own country, he would definitely be shocked at the intolerance and arrogance exhibited by the leaders who hold public office, the press and the general attitude of the Americans towards their Asian counterparts. He would also understand that thoughts were becoming standardized, ideas limited, discussions narrowed because minds have become closed. According to O’Douglas, the very thought of it, is rather disturbing especially when one loves his country. He believes that the philosophy of strength brought about through free speech, is being replaced with the philosophy of fear due to repression. The author takes the example of the Soviet society when Russia was ruled by Lenin. During that time ministers and officials were allowed to debate and come out with new ideas or criticism, but once a final decision was taken, there was no question whatsoever, of either disagreement or dissension. However, in the case of Stalin’s rule, the system of control remained totally under his custody and there was absolutely no question of free speech nor action. O’Douglas believes that America too is moving in the same direction and closely resembles the Soviet society because of the intolerance and arrogance it exhibits towards the developing and underdeveloped countries like Asia. He drives this point home when he says that the Asians identify the Americans not by freedom but by guns. Therefore, the fear mounts as the Soviet imperialism expands and while the free world contracts without putting up a fight. Communism within the country is another manifestation of inherent fear among the people, as its glories are being magnified and exalted beyond all reality. Fanning the flames of fear are some irresponsible people, especially those at the helm of affairs. Suspicion has been substituted for the goodwill of people, while character assassination has become the norm of the day. Innocent acts now bear the stamp of disloyalty. In O’Douglas’ opinion, the days when we could bravely debate, challenge, question or present our thoughts, ideas or even solutions to problems are gone because no one is permitted to enjoy such freedom. The author once again points to Soviet Russia’s policy and strongly feels that America is closely following in its footsteps and therefore the resemblance between America and Russia becomes all the more evident. According to O’Douglas, orthodoxy has gained popularity due to the rising growth of suspicion, because orthodoxy seems to be the safest bet that supports Communism. When suspicion mounts, there is no question of trust. This is the reason why there is competition for embracing orthodoxy because those who follow the path of unorthodoxy would always remain suspect. People who do not adhere to the military policy makers become suspect. All those who stand up and oppose are called ‘subversive’. People who are honest and truthful are suppressed and pushed aside. All these forces fan fear and encourage it to run rampant. Shedding light on our present way of thinking and reacting, O’
...Download file to see next pagesRead More

Silence tends to generate doubts against the defence made by the accused, during the trial. In England, the right to remain silence, during interrogation by the police, was developed in 1829. This right came into force with the establishment of the professional police force

Political changes can be either external or internal. However, these changes are greatly influenced by the people’s attitude and political wants. People’s attitudes are influenced by their feeling of fear, hope and humiliation. These three factors can either make a political change in a country or retain a poor political regime.

The immediate response to the sense of losing self-determination and continuous danger was to provide to political authorities the power to initiate and to maintain war with the aim to keep the country in peace. This contradictory perception of reality was well revealed by the dissertation of President W. Bush the night of September 11th.

The author William Julius Wilson is an American sociologist who received a PhD from the Washington State University in 1966. After receiving the PhD taught sociology at the University of Massachusetts before started teaching in the University of Chicago from 1972 until when he moved to Harvard University in 1996 and he is one of only 20 University Professors with the highest distinction for a Harvard faculty member.

A trend that became rampant just in the recent decades is the adaptation of books and novels that have been applauded by the readers into movies. This brings about a twist in the mood of the movie, as the plots and storylines are not run-of-the-mill, providing freshness and innovation to the movie and all the while giving a different taste of cinema to the audience, and audiences worldwide have increasing adapted to this culture of movie-making.

Generally, a Code of Silence is when a person opts to withhold what is believed to be vital or important information voluntarily or involuntarily. The logic behind this principle is that being a whistleblower may endanger the rest of the association or organization.

Racial discrimination is the dominant theme. The speaker of the poem is an African child and with his self-understanding he has come to terms with his black color. He pleads for equality for all, without discrimination on any count. His

The major cause of this is the amount of tension it brings into a story and consequently makes the story more interesting to review. Over time, many authors have integrated the motif of silence in their stories. Two of such stories are The

ave access to a myriad of resourceful works that can enable them indulge in practices that helps them to identify their strengths and fears, and hence creating their identity. Nevertheless, research show that in the fight for identity among children, some do get engrossed in the

4 Pages(1000 words)Essay

GOT A TRICKY QUESTION? RECEIVE AN ANSWER FROM STUDENTS LIKE YOU!

TRY US!

sponsored ads

Save Your Time for More Important Things

Let us write or edit the essay on your topic
"William O'Douglas' (The Black Silence of Fear),"
with a personal 20% discount.